Top for folding tables and the like



April 25, 1961 J. SHWAYDER ET AL 2,981,579

TOP FOR FOLDING TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed May 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS.

JESSE SHWAYDER KING 0 SHWAYDEI? MARVIN M KING ATTORNEY Apri} 1951 J. SHWAYDER ET AL 2,981,579

TOP FOR FOLDING TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed May 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi INVENTORS.

JESSE SHWAYDE/P /(//V6 0. SHWAYDER MARVIN M Kl/VG ATTORNEY 2,981,579 p TOP FOR roLnnvo TABLES THE LIKE Shwayder, Jefferson County, Colo., and King D.

Shwayder, Detroit, and Marvin M. King, Oak Park, Mich., assignors to Shwayder Bros., Inc., Denver, Colo.,

acorporatio'n of Colorado Filed May 6, 1957, Ser.No. 657,162

X 4 Claims. c a n- This invention relates. to tables, and more particularly to tops for auxiliary of folding tables, such as card tables.

An auxiliary or folding table, such as a card table,

is often subjected to relatively rough usage and the materials of which such a table may be made, to provide a satisfactory and useful life, are thus limited. Previously,

heavy, while a fibreboard or cardboard top may be more readily punctured by a sharp instrument or the like.

However, if the top is made of metal, problems are en-' countered in making the top sufliciently strong but sufficiently light in weight, while a metal top, whencoated with enamel, paint or the like, is susceptible to being marred or scratched. The latter problem could be overcome if the top were covered. with a layer of relatively tough plastic, such as polyvinylresin, but the application of a plastic layer to a metal top of a card table or thelike produces numerous problems in securing the plastic to the top and also in forming the plastic to fit over the flanges at the sides, with which the top must be provided in order to have suflicient strength. In addition, a metal table top. acts as a drum, as it were, thus causing a reverberation of sound whenever an article, such as a glass filled with liquid, is placed thereon, or when the top is accidentally struck. In addition, card I table tops, have generally been substantially level or flat from each edge to the opposite edge, so that if a glass of liquid is accidentally spilled, the liquid tends to run off onto the floor or onto the clothing of a person sitting at the table.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a novel table, particularly an auxiliary or folding table, such as a card table; to provide a novel top for such a table; to provide such a table top which is formed of metal provided with a layer of plastic or thelike and which has adequate strengthyet is comparatively light in weight; to provide such a table top which is adequately reinforced; to provide such a table top in which the sounding or dmm eifect is minimized; to provide such a table top which will minimize the possibility ofliquid spilled thereon running off the'edges; to provide a method of forming a table top by which a plastic layer is securely attached to a metal layer; to provide such a method in which the difficulties in shaping the plastic layer and securing the same to depending flanges around the sides are overcome; to provide such a method which may be carried out readily; and to provide such a table top which may be manufactured readily and will withstand the rigours of hard usage.

The foregoing and additional objects, as well as the novel features of this invention, will become apparent from the description which follows, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: it

2,981,579 Patented Apr. 25, 1961 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a card table having a top constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section,

taken at one edge of the tabletop; l

Fig. 3 is a partial bottom plan view, one larger. scale,

of the card table of Fig. 1, in folded position, as for storage or the like;

Fig. 4 is a condensed oblique section, taken through the table top at the position of line 4-4 ofFig. 3, but omitting thelegs and means for pivotally attaching the legs to the top;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section," comprising a portion of one end of Fig. 4, on an enlarged scale; I Fig. 6 is a condensed transverse section of a strip from which the table top may be made;

Fig. 7 is a condensed vertical section illustrating an' initial step in the forming of the table top; and

Figs. 8 and 9- are similar condensed sections illustrating subsequent steps in the forming of the table top.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, a table top T constructed in accordance 'with this invention may be incorporated in a folding or card table adapted to be supported by legs 10 during use. The legs It] may be pivotally attached to the top T' in any suitable manner, such as disclosed,

in Adler Us; Patent 2,567,417. Thu each leg 10 may be tubular and provided with a cap 11 at its lower end, while the upper end of each leg, as in Fig. 2, maybe pivotally attached, as by a rivet 12, we cornerbox B which extends around the inside corner of the table top and is attached thereto, as by rivets. Each corner box B may beprovided. with a flat base and an upstanding flange 13 having an oflset section 14 at the point of attachment of the rivet 12, while a brace 15 may be pivotally attached at its outer end to the leg and at its inner end, as by a rivet, to an car 16, conveniently struck from the baseof the cornerbox B, with the rivet at car 16 beingin alignmentwith rivet 12', so that each leg will be spaced inwardly from the corresponding side of the table topand will move pivotally parallel thereto. The outer end of brace 15 may bepivotally attached; to leg 10 by a stud 17, which conveniently extends through leg 10 so that its opposite, extending end may engage a slotted stay 18, pivotally attached at its inner end to a second ofiset portion of flange 13, as by a rivet. The slot in each stay 18 preferably limits the movement of the respective leg 10 between a position adjacent the table top,as in Fig. 3, and a position perpendicular thereto, as in Fig. 1, while each stay 18 may be sutliciently resilient that it will bear outwardly against the head of stud 17, to maintain each stay locked with the table supported by the legs, as in Fig. 1. For the latterpu'rpose, the outer end of the slot in each stay 18 may be en;

larged and stud 17 provided with a neck inwardly of the outer end thereof, i.e., adjacent leg 10,? so thatthe slot in the stay will engage the, neck during movement of a leg between the folded position of Fig. '2 and thefup right position of Fig. 1. As will be evident, the} stay 18 will spring outwardly when the position of ig. 1 is reached, when the legs are being opened, .but eaclistay, must be pushed inwardly before the, corresponding leg? can be pivoted back to folded position. Thus, the table will be firmly supported when in upright position, as in Fig.1.

In accordance with this invention, the table top is provided with a peripheral depending flange 20, shown also in Fig. 2, and a curl 21( which extends inwardly and, around, as for a portion of a circle, as in Fig. 2, along,

the lower edge of each flange 20 and entirely around the later. A spacer (not shown) may be inserted between flange 13' of the corner box B, rivets 19 may extend corner box.B may: extend into the spacer between'curl.

21 and. the. topv of the. table top, along the remainder of the outer edge of'thecorner box.v

Also,.in accordance with this invention, thetop T is formed froma metalstrip-or l'ayer M and'a plastic layer P, the latter of which may be applied to the metal M ina manner described later and may be a relatively high strength polyvinyl resin'which is provided with a pattern on theoutsidethereof, as indicated inFig. l, applied by embossing or the like at the time of forming the strip from, which the, plasticlayer P is made. In further accordance with. invention, the top T may also be provided with a rim22 aroundlits edge, so that the remainder of'the top forms a well of, suflicient depth that in the event .liquidor, the like is spilled on the top, the liquid will beretainedlinthe well and will not flow olf the edge of the, table. with the remainder of the top, is preferably slanted at a suitable angle, such as30'', so that a sharp projection will. not be, formedat the inner edge of the rim. It will be notedthat rim 22 increases the usefulness of the top T,'1 as in playing card games, for instance, since cards may be more readily picked up merely bymovement of the, cards toward the rim so that an. edge of each card' will'reston the inclined section. and the card orcards may therefore be picked up more readily. The angular'ity of the inclined section 23, particularly'when it extends completely around the top, as preferred, also increases the strength and resistance of the top to deformation.

Further in accordance with this invention, the underside of the top T is reinforced by a pair of reinforcing stripsS and S, as shown in Figs. 3, 4' and 5, which conveniently are disposed at right angles to each other and extend between the opposite corners of the table top. Each of the strips S and S may be formed generally with a central, semi-circular section 25, from the edges of which-flanges 26 extend laterally outwardly, while the strips may terminate at each end in a flat section 27, into which the central section 25'merges. Due to the diagonal disposition of strips S and S, one strip crosses over the other strip and for this-reason, the strip S may be provided with a hump 28 at the center, as in Fig. 4, the underside offwhich, including lateral flange portions 26', corresponds to. the transverse configuration of the top of strip S. Thestrips S and S need not be secured together at the center, but may be attached together at the center, asby rivets orthe like, if desired.

Inaccordancewith thisinvention, the strips S and S are. not attached to the underside of the top T by rivets, welds. or. other type of metallic connection, but instead are attached tothe underside of the top T, as in Fig. 5, bya non-metallic adhesive layer 29, which is conveniently a metalbonding resin. Due to the non-metallic layer 29, bctWeenIthe strips Sand S and the underside of top T, the, drum effect of the table top is minimized. This is apparently. due not to any change in the normal period ofvibrationproduced by the presence of the strips S and"S', but primarily to the presence of the non-metallic layer'29' and its effect not only upon the normal period ofvibrationofthe assembly, but also its resistance to the transmission of sound. Thus, instead of sound reverberating when an article is placed. on the table top orthe table topis accidentally struck, either no discernible sound at all or merely a dull sound is produced. In addition, since theplastic. layer P is-also non-metallic, the sharpness ofany sound .produceclby placing an object on the tabletop, or when the table top is accidentally struck, is: further minimized Infurtheraccordance with this invention, as illustrated ini- Fig 6,,a.meta1-strip, onsheetj32. of, suitable. width An inclined section 23, connecting rim 22 and any desired length, such as cold priate thickness, as on the order of'.030in., may be first bonded, while both are flat, to a strip 33 of a suitable semi-rigid plastic, such as a plasticized polyvinyl chloride resin having a suitable thickness, such as on the order of 0.012 in., and the upper. surface of which may be embossed or printed with a desired pattern, such as indicated'inFi'g. 11 at the time of manufacture. Such bondpressure, as by rolls, to. insure. a firm bond between the ing may be carried out in a suitable manner, such as in accordance with US! Patent 2,728,703. Thus, steel strip 32 may be cleaned chemically and treatedto produce a deposit of iron phosphate on the surface. The steel'sheet may then be coated with a layer, such as one-half mil in thickness of a suitable adhesive, such as Kotol" cement (supplied-by the Naugatuck Chemical Division of the U.S. Rubber Company) and then subjected to a temperature, such as of 175 F. in an oven, as for approximately 1 minute, so as to evaporate. the solvent inthe adhesive. The temperature of the ovenmaythen be raised to heat the sheet rapidly to a suitable temperature,

such as400 F., andas the steel sheet emerges from the.

oven, the plastic strip 33 is applied and subjected to steel and plastic strips. As will be evident, the bond between the steel and plastic strips is readily produced through heat and pressure, in the manner describedabove, while. the strips are fiat. Then the steel strip, with the plastic strip bonded thereto, may be cut into suitable lengths to form blanks which are placed in a. die, such as conforming to the configuration of Fig. 7. Thus, in an initial forming'step, the dished top, including the rim 22 and inclined sectionZS, as well as depending flanges 20, may be produced. Then, as in Fig. 8, the lower edges 34 of the flangesmaybe bent inwardly in another die in a precurling operation, thus providing flanges 20 of the desired depth, followingwhich the inwardly'bent or precurled edges 34 may. be bent around in still another die to the arcuate shape of Fig. 9, thereby forming the curl 21 at the'lower'edge of each flange 20: It will" be noted that the corners of the table top are preferably rounded on a sufiicient radius that the curl 21 may extend around each corner without the possibility ofthe metal attemptingto fold-upon itself, so that the'plastic'layer P will follow thecurvatureofthe metal during the; forming operation, without causing'the plastic to tend to be folded upon itself and thereby produce the possibility of the plastic layerbeing separated, by shear' forces, from the metal. It will be noted that the curl 21, the inner edge" of which preferably faces the inside of the depending flanges 20, places the terminal edges 35 of the-metal and plastic strips ina protected position, in which the-possibility of such edge being accidentally struck is' eliminated. Thus, since it is difiicult to separate the plastic and metal layers mechanically, except at the extreme edges thereof, the protected position of the inner edges 35 of curls'21 minimizes the possibility of the metal and plastic layers being separated accidentally.

After the table top T has been produced in-the manner described above, the holes for the rivets by which the metallic layeubetween; the; reinforcing; stripsand :the-

corner boxes are attached may be punched in side flanges 20, strips S and S may be cemented to the underside of the top and the leg assemblies, consisting of the corner boxes B, legs 10 and-the remainder of the parts associated with legs 10 may then be installed, it being noted that the base of. each corner box conveniently overlies a flat endzof a strip S: or S.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that atable top constructed in accordance with this invention fulfills to a marked degree the; requirements and objects hereinbefore set forth. As will be evident, the rim and inclined sect-ions, as well as the dependingilanges, and, curls at the-lower edges of the flanges, reinforce'the table top, while the reinforcing strips-on the underside of the table top add considerable stability thereto. Also, a nonrolled steel of approunderside of the table top, conveniently a layer by which the strips are attached to the table top, reduces the reverberation of sound produced when an object is placed on the table top or the table top is accidentally struck.

As will further be evident, by securing the plastic layer to a metal strip prior to forming the dish shape of the top and the side flanges and curls, a better bond may be obtained between a plastic strip and the metal strip, since the plastic strip may be applied to the metal strip when both are fiat. This permits sufficient pressure to be applied in order to secure a good bond.

Although a specific embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that other embodiments may exist and various changes made therein, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A table top formed at least in part of thin sheet metal, with the underside of said top being of such sheet metal; and at least one metal reinforcing member extending across the underside of said top and having at least one flat surface secured to the underside of said top by a non-metallic adhesive which is disposed between said reinforcing member and the underside of said top to provide a non-metallic connection separating the metal of said reinforcing member from the metal of said top and eliminating metal to metal contact between said reinforcing member and said top at substantially all points there between, so as to minimize the drum effect of the sound produced by an object striking said top.

2. A table top, as defined in claim 1, including a plural- 6 ity of reinforcing members disposed angularly with respect to each other,

3. A table top, as defined in claim 2, wherein each said reinforcing member comprises a central, generally rounded section connected at each side to a laterally extending flange secured to the underside of said table top by said adhesive.

4. A table top as defined in claim 3, wherein said reinforcing members comprise two members extending diagonally across said table from corner to corner and crossing at the center, each said member having a fiat end adjacent the corresponding corner and attached to the underside of said table top by said adhesive.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,664,292 Gloekler Mar. 27, 1928 1,710,361 Konop Apr. 23, 1929 1,731,131 Hall Oct. 8, 1929 1,954,449 Klee Apr. 10, 1934 2,267,444 Corduan et al. Dec. 23, 1941 2,269,331 Arbron Jan. 6, 1942 2,286,295 Mastrangelo June 16, 1942 2,439,027 Stanitz Apr. 6, 1948 2,556,060 Brinker June 5, 1951 2,609,068 Pajak Sept. 2, 1952 2,654,648 Burke Oct. 6, 1953 2,739,640 Brinker et al. Mar. 27, 1956 2,793,090 Wolters May 21, 1957 2,911,274 Grube Nov. 3, 1959 

